Paying Attention to Food and Practice

[Ajahn Chah] compared practice with paying attention to the food you eat. Some foods will upset your stomach; some foods will give you energy, while some foods will make you sluggish. Some food might taste good but may not be good for you, or might not taste good but be nourishing for you.

In the same way that you have to pay attention to the result of the food that you eat, you have to pay attention to different methods, techniques and ways of practice. You have to see what the flavor is, what the results are, what the benefits and drawbacks are.

This reflection by Luang Por Pasanno is from the booklet, Ajahn Chah’s Teachings on Nature, (pdf) p. 9.